Cart

Dogs Need Iodine?

I am a ‘dog mom’. I have 2 dogs that are raw fed and holistically cared for. I have a PooChin (poodle / Japanese chin mix) and a ShiChi (Shih Tuz / Chihuahua mix). They are both 14 lbs. Their lifestyle has kept them both healthy and neither have required frequent visits to the vet. We visit every 3 years for the rabies vaccine. About 2 years ago my PooChin – Snickerdoodles (aka Snickers) started to get a cyst on his tail. It started out small and slowly grew larger and had a weird white ball under the skin with fluid around it. I asked the Vet about it on one of his visits and she decided to biopsy it to see what it was. She told me that it was nothing and that some dogs just seemed more prone to them. After the biopsy it seemed to just melt away and he was free of lumps for a few months.

Then in September he went in for his rabies vaccination (every 3 years by law here) and a month or less later he had a large cyst forming again on his side over his rib cage. Then he started to get more bumps. He had 2 more smaller bumps in the back hindquarter of his leg. He’s had lumps form at the site of the injection which I treated with topical solutions but this one was nowhere near the injection site. Then I remembered a lecture that Dr Flechas gave where he discussed cysts being related to iodine deficiency. I decided to add 1 drop of 5% solution Lugol’s iodine to my dogs water bowl. My two dogs share a ceramic bowl that is about 2 cups. So I cannot determine just how much he was receiving. Each morning I would give them fresh water and add another drop of Lugol’s to the bowl.

Two weeks after starting to supplement, the lump on his side began to shrink. After 3 weeks the cyst was completely gone. Of the two on the hindquarter – one remains. The other is much smaller. I will continue to supplement with iodine and monitor his progress.

I began to think about my other dog, Gizmo, and if he seemed to have any benefits. Gizmo is prone to skin issues. He gets crusty patches on his underbelly. He would lick his paws constantly. We tried adding foods, removing foods and even getting medicated shampoos. His skin has been much better and I cannot find any scaly patches on his belly.

I don’t know why I am so surprised by the progress my dogs have made. I know personally the benefits that iodine can bring to healing the body. After all it is what I used to heal from papillary thyroid cancer. Because it is so much a part of my regular day I forget about the amazing power this nutrient has. I just started stocking the perfect solution for supplementing your dog. I add one drop in a bowl of water per day. Get your liquid iodine by going here.